Wheel puller

ABSTRACT

A wheel puller based on a cylinder containing at least two telescoping pistons. The cylinder has a peripheral flange. A Ushaped collar slips over the cylinder and engages the flange. A second U-shaped collar slips over a shaft and engages a wheel to be pulled. Tie rods connect the two collars and a piston rod connected to one of the pistons engages the shaft end.

United States Patent Durant [151 3,638,294 Feb. 1, 1972 [54] WHEEL PULLER [72] Inventor: Walter F. Durant, 664 Noank Road,

Mystic, Conn. 06355 [22] Filed: Jan. 20, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 4,353

[52] U.S. Cl ..29/252 [51] Int. Cl ..B23p 19/04 [58] Field of Search ..29/252, 239, 263, 266, 271,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,361,975 12/1920 Eichler et al ..29/263 Murawski ..29/239 X Tinnes ..29/252 Primary Examiner-Andrew R. Juhasz Assistant Examiner-Leon Gilden Attorney-Berman, Davidson and Berman [57] ABSTRACT A wheel puller based on a cylinder containing at least two telescoping pistons. The cylinder has a peripheral flange. A U- shaped collar slips over the cylinder and engages the flange. A second U-shaped collar slips over a shaft and engages a wheel to be pulled. Tie rods connect the two collars and a piston rod connected to one of the pistons engages the shaft end.

8 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures manna m1 m2 3638.294

sum 3 or 3 AI'TURNHYS.

WIIEEL FULLER It is an object of this invention to provide a wheel puller particularly adapted to freeing propellers, particularly the propellers on the shaft of inboard-powered boats.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a wheel puller as aforesaid which is simple in construction and operation, operable over a considerable range of extension and highly adaptable to a variety of conditions.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a wheel puller as aforesaid in which the basic power unit may be readily adapted to encounter a wide variety of wheel diameters, shaft diameters and wheel locations with respect to shaft lengths and diameters.

The above and other objects will be made clear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device as a whole in a position operative to remove a wheel from a shaft;

FIG. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section on the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a preferred form of pulling adapter;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation taken from the left-hand side of FIG. I but showing the power unit in fully extended position;

FIG. 6 is another form of the adapter cover;

FIG. 7 shows a special form of a adapter which permits the use of two hydraulic cylinders;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the adapter of FIG. 7 in use;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of a portion of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown the propeller shaft 10 emerging outboard from a stuffing box 12 in any form of boat. The disc 14 is shown mounted on the shaft 10 in lieu of a conventional propeller. This is purely for the purpose of simplifying the disclosure. The wheel puller as a whole is generally designated 16 and is made up of a hydraulic unit 18 and an adapter collar 20, a second adapter collar 22 and a plurality of tie rods 24.

A hose 26 conventionally connects the hydraulic unit 18 to a hand-operated hydraulic pump 28.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the hydraulic unit 18 comprises a cylinder 30 in which is mounted a piston 32 having a piston rod 34 slidable through a threaded end closure plate 36 which engages the interior of the cylinder 30. A second piston 38 is mounted in a bore formed in the piston 32 and its piston rod 34 and has itself a piston rod 40 which penetrates the free end of the piston rod 34. A combined fluid inlet and outlet passage 42 is formed in the cylinder 30 and is conventionally connected to the hose 26 and thence to the pump 28.

A cylindrical flange 44 is formed on the exterior of the cylinder 30 and is engaged by the collar which, as best seen in FIG. 4, has a central semicircular passage 46, which merges into parallel walls 48, so that the collar 20 simply may be slipped over the cylinder 30 thereby engaging its fixed flange 44.

As shown in FIG. 1, a second collar 22 is similar to the collar 20 and has three apertures 50 evenly spaced around its periphery. The tie rods 24 are first passed through the collar 20 so as to bring heads 52 to bear around the outer surface of the collar 20. The threaded ends 54 of the tie rods 24 pass through similar apertures in the collar 22 and when in place have nuts 56 applied thereto so as to bear against the outer surface of the collar 22.

The pump 28 is now operated exerting pressure on both pistons 32 and 38 so that maximum pressure is exerted by piston rods 34, 40 against the shaft 10. Usually the member 14 will become reasonable free on a very slight axial movement between shaft 10 and collar 14. If, however, a greater movement is necessary, piston rod 34 may be expelled from the cylinder to its fullest extend followed by the piston rod 40, as best seen in FIG. 5. This feature provides considerable flexibility not only in gaining access to particular collars or wheels, but in completing their removal after initially being freed by the shaft.

It is to be understood that if a propeller, as distinct from a collar, were involved the unit 16 would be placed so as to permit the propeller blades to project outwardly between the several tie rods 24.

FIG. 6 shows a collar 20" quite similar to that shown in FIG. 4 and having the same spacing for tie rod receiving holes 50" as in FIG. 4. It will be noticed, however, that considerably more metal is provided around the apertures 50" particularly those apertures adjacent the walls 48" than is provided in the FIG. 4 illustration.

Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown a special form of adapter having a large central slot 102 and a pair of keyhole slots 104 at each side of the central slot 102. Adjacent each of the keyhole slots 104 are tie rod receiving apertures 106. Each of the keyhole slots 104 has a straightaway portion 108 with less width than the diameter of the circular portion of the keyhole slot.

When this adapter is in use, it will be noted in FIG. 8 that the central slot 102 afiords clearance for a shaft 110 with a hydraulic unit 18 inserted in each of the keyhole slots. The straightaway portions 108 afiord clearance for the hydraulic connections 42 and 26 of each of the hydraulic units 18. The adapter 100 bears against the flanges 44 in precisely the relationship shown for the collar 20 in FIG. 2.

A second adapter .112 has a central slot 114 to clear the shaft 110. The adapter 112 is precisely similar to the adapter 100 with the omission of the keyhole slots 104 and, of course, the omission of the straightaway portions 108. Tie rods 116 penetrate the apertures 106 of the adapter 100 and penetrate similar apertures in the adapter 112. In this particular case, the tie rods 116 carry nuts 118 to bear on the adapter 110. At their opposite ends the tie rods 116 carry hooks or eyes 120 connected to chains 122. A third adapter 112' has a slot 114' and is identical with the adapter 112. The adapter 112 is penetrated by hooks which engage the chains 122 and have at their outer end nuts 126 bearing against the adapter 112'.

For the purpose of this particular illustration, the shaft 110 is shown as having mounted thereon a sleeve 128 having a flange 130 and it is desired to force this into a sleeve 132 having a flange 134. The adapter 112 bears on the flange 130 and the adapter 112 bears on the flange 134. When hydraulic fluid is supplied to the units 18, the pistons 34 (or 40 as the case may be) thrust against the adapter 112 which in turn thrusts against the flange 130. Since the rods 116 are freely slidable in the adapter 112, tension is placed on the chains 122, causing the adapter 112' to exert pressure on the flange 134 with the result that the sleeves 128 and 132 are drawn together.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 8 shows a common source of fluid 136 for both of the hydraulic units 18 and for the particular job illustrated that is desirable. If, however, the same rig were to be used as a jack for the purpose (purely by way of example) of leveling a boat engine on its mounting individual controls would be provided for each cylinder so that the two pistons could be given differential advance in order to level the engme.

While numerous variations on constructional details may occur to anyone skilled in the art who peruses this specification, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the v precise details herein disclosed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wheel puller, a piston, a cylinder containing said piston, a pressure connection to said cylinder, a flange on said cylinder, a U-shaped collar slidably mounted on said cylinder and engaging said flange, a second U-shaped collar adapted slidably to engage a shaft on which a wheel to be pulled is mounted, tension means connecting said collars, said tension means having heading means to bear against the outer surfaces of said collars, a second piston longitudinally slidably mounted in said first piston, and a piston rod connected to said second piston defining at times a telescoping extension of said first-named piston.

2. The device of claim 1, in which the flange on said cylinder is external.

comprises a plurality of spaced tie rods.

6. The device of claim 4, and wherein said tension means comprises a plurality of spaced tie rods slidably penetrating the first and third collars and means connecting said tie rods to the second collar.

7. The device of claim 6, and wherein the means connecting the tie rods to the second collar comprises chains.

8. The device of claim 4, and wherein said first collar has slots to receive said pressure connections to the cylinders. 

1. In a wheel puller, a piston, a cylinder containing said piston, a pressure connection to said cylinder, a flange on said cylinder, a U-shaped collar slidably mounted on said cylinder and engaging said flange, a second U-shaped collar adapted slidably to engage a shaft on which a wheel to be pulled is mounted, tension means connecting said collars, said tension means having heading means to bear against the outer surfaces of said collars, a second piston longitudinally slidably mounted in said first piston, and a piston rod connected to said second piston defining at times a telescoping extension of said first-named piston.
 2. The device of claim 1, in which the flange on said cylinder is external.
 3. The device of claim 1, in which said second collar has apertures to receive tension means.
 4. The device of claim 1, including a second flanged cylinder and piston parallel to the first-named cylinder and piston and in which said first-named collar slidably engages both said cylinders, a pressure connection to said second cylinder, and a third collar adapted to slidably engage said shaft and slidably penetrated by said tension means, said third collar being located to simultaneously receive thrust generated in both of said cylinders.
 5. The device of claim 1, and wherein said tension means comprises a plurality of spaced tie rods.
 6. The device of claim 4, and wherein said tension means comprises a plurality of spaced tie rods slidably penetrating the first and third collars and means connecting said tie rods to the second collar.
 7. The device of claim 6, and wherein the means connecting the tie rods to the second collar comprises chains.
 8. The device of claim 4, and wherein said first collar has slots to receive said pressure connections to the cylinders. 